(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for managing subscriber databases in an intelligent network (IN) and an advanced intelligent network (AIN) which are techniques of configuring a telephone communication network.
The intelligent network is proposed as a technique of introducing databases centralized in a telephone network and realizing various services.
(2) Description of Related Art
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of an intelligent network invented heretofore. An intelligent network 100' shown in FIG. 10 is configured such that an SMS (Service Management System) 20' is connected to a plurality of SCPs (Service Control Points) 30'a and 30'b (two SCPs, for example, as shown in FIG. 10) in a lower hierarchy over an LAN (Local Area Network) or a packet switching network 60', and the SCPs 30'a and 30'b are connected to a plurality of SSPs (Service Switching Points) 50'-1 through 50'-3 in a further lower hierarchy over a NO. 7 common channel signalling network 40'.
Therefore, the intelligent network 100' is hierarchically configured with the SMS 20', the SCPs 30'a and 30'b, and the SSPs 50'-1 through 50'-3 mentioned above.
The SSPs 50'-1 through 50'-3 are nodes which determine necessity of a service processing by the intelligent network 100' during a switching/call processing performed when communication terminals communicate with each other, and access to the SCPs 30'a and 30'b performing predetermined service control.
Each of the SCPs 30'a and 30'b performs a processing for a free dial service such as number conversion to a free dial number, a credit card service, etc. in response to a request from the SSP 50'-1, 50'-2 or 50'-3. The SCPs 30'a and 30'b are connected to data bases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3, respectively.
Namely, the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 collectively store data (service data) relating to services of the SCPs 30'a and 30'b, whereby the SCPs 30'a and 30'b handle an enormous volume of data stored in the respective databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 so as to provide various services as above.
Subscriber data held in the SCPs 30'a and 30'b differs from each other according to services provided by the SCP 30'a and 30'b. For instance, if contents of services made by the SCPs 30'a and 30'b shown in FIG. 10 differ from each other, the subscriber data (A and B, for example) held in the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 of the respective SCPs 30'a and 30'b differ from each other. In response to an inquiry from the SSP 50'-1, 50'-2 or 50'-3, each of the SCPs 30'a and 30'b retrieves relevant subscriber data in the corresponding database 30'a-3 or 30'b-3, sends back a result of the retrieval to the SSP 50'-1, 50'-2 or 50'-3, thereby realizing a service.
The SMS 20' as a service management system manages the entire network relating to the intelligent network 100', at the same time, assists to provide the services, collectively manages an addition, an update, etc. of data in the databases possessed by the SCPs 30'a and 30'b. The SMS 20' has a database 20'-3. The database 20'-3 holds subscriber data for services provided by the SCPs 30'a and 30'b in the lower hierarchy of the SMS 20', in which subscriber data (A and B, for example) of the services provided by the SCPs 30'a and 30'b is held.
In the above configuration, when receiving a free dial connect request or the like from a subscriber terminal, the SSP 50'-1, 50'-2 or 50'-3 transmits a signal to convert a corresponding number to a predetermined SCP 30'a or 30'b. The SSP 50'-1, 50'-2 or 50'-3 performs a desired switching process by using a result of the number conversion received from the SCP 30'a or 30'b. When there is an access to the SCP 30'a or 30'b as above, the SCPs 30'a or 30'b updates the subscriber data managed therein.
In order to check matching of subscriber data managed in the SMS 20' and a plurality of the SCPs 30'a and 30'b, the database is periodically backed up in a time zone a traffic volume is small in each of the SCPs 30'a and 30'b, and compared and collated in another system.
However, it is necessary to periodically check the matching of the databases 30'a-3, 30'b-3 and 20'-3 in the network 100 under a state of service operation, in order to prevent a stop of the services of the entire network because of a breakdown of the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 of the respective SCPs 30'a and 30'b while the services are operated.
Upon the matching check on the databases 30'a-3, 30'b-3 and 20'-3, since a large volume of the subscriber data in the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 of the respective SCPs 30'a and 30'b is collated with the database 20'-3 of the SMS 20' within a short period, it is necessary to read the subscriber data as many as possible from the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 of the respecive SCPs 30'a and 30'b to the SMS 20' and collate the subscriber data in the SMS 20'.
In the technique of collating the databases 30'a-3 and 30'b-3 of the respective SCPs 30'a and 30'b with the database 20'-3 of the SMS 20' as above, when a transaction processing from the SSPs 50'-l through 50'-3 to the SCPS 30'a and 30'b burst out increasing while the collating processing on the subscriber data is carried out, a response processing on the SSPs 50'-1 through 50'-3 in response to the transaction processing is suppressed, which leads to degradation of the services.